If you’re a fan of buffalo wings, get ready to fall in love with this irresistible buffalo chicken panini!
It takes all the bold flavors you crave and sandwiches them between golden, buttery sourdough bread. It’s the ultimate fusion of comfort food and flavor-packed indulgence.
Plus, they’re super easy to make but taste like you’ve put in a ton of effort. Honestly, I think I might have just found my new favorite sandwich!
Whether you’re looking for a quick lunch or a satisfying dinner, this incredible panini is guaranteed to please.
Why You’ll Love This Buffalo Chicken Panini
Flavor Explosion: This panini packs a serious punch of bold, tangy buffalo sauce. It’s balanced with cool, creamy cheese for an unbeatable flavor combination.
Gourmet Vibe: This recipe elevates a simple sandwich to a gourmet experience, perfect for impressing guests or treating yourself.
Quick and Easy: This straightforward recipe can be prepared in about 20 minutes. It’s an excellent choice for a delicious yet fast lunch or dinner.
Crispy and Crunchy Texture: It combines crispy toasted sourdough, tender chicken, melted cheese, and crunchy celery for a great texture contrast.
Ingredients
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts: The star protein soaks up the spicy buffalo sauce.
- Buffalo Wing Sauce: This sauce brings the heat and signature buffalo taste.
- Cream Cheese: It adds richness and a smooth texture to perfectly complement the kick of the buffalo sauce.
- Crumbled Blue Cheese: The pungent, salty cheese is a classic pairing with buffalo chicken.
- Shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar Cheese: The melty, gooey cheese binds it together.
- Celery: It adds a crisp, fresh crunch to each bite.
- Sourdough Bread: Grilled until golden and crisp, it’s the perfect vessel for this loaded sandwich.
- Butter: It helps achieve that crave-worthy, crispy, golden-brown crust.
How to Make a Buffalo Chicken Panini
After making this easy sandwich, you’ll feel like a total pro in the kitchen.
1. Cook and shred the chicken. Cook the chicken breasts in a skillet or grill until done. Let cool slightly, then shred or chop into bite-sized pieces. Toss the chicken with the buffalo wing sauce in a bowl.
2. Mix the cheese spread. In another bowl, mix together the softened cream cheese, shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, and blue cheese crumbles.
3. Layer the sandwich fillings. Spread the cheese mixture on one side of each slice of bread. On 4 of the bread slices, layer 1/4 of the buffalo chicken and some of the sliced celery. Top with the remaining bread slices, cheese side down.
4. Grill the sandwiches. Heat a panini press or grill pan over medium heat. Brush the outside of each sandwich with softened butter. Grill the sandwiches for 3-4 minutes until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted.
5. Serve them hot. Cut the paninis in half and serve immediately. Enjoy your spicy, cheesy buffalo chicken panini!
Tips for the Best Buffalo Chicken Panini
This recipe is tough to mess up, but these tips make it even better!
- Choose your favorite chicken. For convenience, you can use leftover grilled or rotisserie chicken or cook your own. Shred or thinly slice the chicken for even distribution in the sandwich.
- The sturdier, the better. Choose a sturdy bread that will hold up to the fillings without getting soggy. Fresh sourdough, ciabatta, or thick-sliced Italian bread work great and get crispy when grilled.
- Grill it up right. Use a panini press or grill pan. A panini press ensures even cooking and perfect grill marks, but a grill pan or skillet with a weight on top can also work effectively.
- Cut the fat. For a lighter version, use low-fat cheese and cooking spray instead of butter.
- Make it a feast. Pair with carrot and celery sticks, chips, coleslaw, or a side salad to round out the meal. Blue cheese or ranch dressing makes a perfect dipping sauce.
How to Store
Follow these steps if you have leftover paninis.
To Store: For optimal freshness, refrigerate the buffalo chicken mixture and cheese mixture separately in air-tight containers for up to 3-4 days. Assemble the paninis before grilling and serving for the best taste and texture.
Buffalo Chicken Panini
4
servings20
minutes5
minutes448
kcalThis buffalo chicken panini is totally restaurant-worthy! It’s cheesy, spicy, creamy, and so delicious!
Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
2 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
8 slices sourdough bread
2 tbsp butter, softened
Instructions
- Cook the chicken breasts in a skillet or grill until done. Let them cool slightly, then shred or chop them into bite-sized pieces. Toss the chicken with the buffalo wing sauce in a bowl.
- In another bowl, mix together the softened cream cheese, shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, and blue cheese crumbles.
- Spread the cheese mixture on one side of each slice of bread. On 4 of the bread slices, layer 1/4 of the buffalo chicken and some of the sliced celery. Top with the remaining bread slices, cheese side down.
- Heat a panini press or grill pan over medium heat. Brush the outside of each sandwich with softened butter. Grill the sandwiches for 3-4 minutes until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted.
- Cut the paninis in half and serve immediately. Enjoy your spicy, cheesy buffalo chicken panini!
Notes
- You can use leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken to save time.
- Adjust the amount of buffalo sauce to your preferred level of spice.
- Serve with extra celery sticks and blue cheese or ranch dressing for dipping.
- For a lighter version, use low-fat cheese and cooking spray instead of butter.
